Fourth Run Loop, Hickory Run State Park, Pennsylvania, Jun 5, 2020

Out of the Culvert, Fourth Run Trail

Since circumstances have not been conducive for vacations to the North Country or even any overnight excursions of any kind, my brother and I decided that we would spend the month of June and July finding hiking locations midway between our two towns. For an inaugural outing, we turned to Tom Thwaites book on hikes in eastern Pennsylvania. In particular, his long circuit hike that he calls the Fourth Run Loop.

We met at the trail head at 7:30 a.m. on a Friday, and were pleased to find the small parking lot empty. Unfortunately, we got off to a poor start with a wrong turn that too us through high, dewy grass. So we lost a half hour and had wet feet for the rest of the day. Back on track, we followed an easy grade through a very pretty forest and had the trail fully to ourselves. As it turned out, that first section of the hike is the best. It was pretty much downhill from there.

On the Trail with Nephew and Brother

The long loop on the Fourth Run Trail actually crosses the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at two points. So you start to hear the road noise well before the first crossing, which was kind of interesting because it goes under the highway through a stream-filled culvert. After the culvert, the trail actually connects with a dirt road open to vehicular traffic... not an ideal setting. 

After looping back and under the Turnpike again, the route leaves the dirt road and becomes a trail again. However, it actually runs parallel to the highway and the noise was a real distraction. Finally, we got back to the peace and quiet for another nice stretch before connecting with the final, disappointing section - hiking directly through a campground. Since it was a Friday, there was all sorts of commotion with the yahoos rolling in with their campers. We zipped through and back to the car, happy with the distance covered, but a little disappointed with the overall experience.

Trail: Fourth Run Trail
Distance: 12.4 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 940 feet

Conditions: Mostly sunny, 90 degrees F

Lower Wolf Jaw, Upper Wolf Jaw, Armstrong Mountain, Great Range, Eastern High Peaks, Adirondack Park

View to Gothics from Armstrong Summit

It has been slow going on my ADK 46er list. Some people crank out all 46 in a couple of weeks. I think the record is a couple of days. Me. I'm taking it slow. There are hundreds of smaller peaks and lower elevation trails in the Adirondack Park without the seemingly-constant pressure and congestion of the High Peaks. Many days, I'd just rather take one of those than contest with the Marcy Dam Mobs. In other words, I pick the days for my 46er outings VERY carefully.

Fall is a great time of year for them. I chose a crisp, sunny Columbus Day to tackle part of the Great Range -- Lower Wolf Jaw, Upper Wolf Jaw, and Armstrong Mountain. Knowing most holiday hikers out of St. Huberts would be going to Gothics, I specifically left it off the day's itinerary.

At the Wedge Brook Cascades

I did the mile from the St. Huberts parking area to the Ausable River Club gate at dawn. From there, many people use the easy-graded Lake Road to quickly cover the distance to the many climbing trails. I opted for the West River Trail which is a lot more scenic. I took it to the Wedge Brook Trail, which goes up to the col (or maw) of the Wolf Jaws. It's a nice trail that offers a dramatic look at the head wall of the peaks before you start the serious climbing. Reaching the Adirondack Ridge Trail, I did a quick up and back to the wooded Lower Wolf Jaw summit.

Upper Wolf Jaw Summit

After that, I followed the ridge to Upper Wolf Jaw (keep an eye out for a short side trail to the viewpoint) and then went down and up again to Armstrong. The climb to Armstrong is seriously steep, with hand over hand boulder scrambles and ladder climbing needed to negotiate the trail. At the summit, I ran into a couple of hikers who had come in from the Garden and were heading back via the Jaws, as well as three Quebec fellows who I had seen earlier and seemed to be doing the entire Great Range over their Canadian Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I couldn't really tell. My French is terrible these days.

Ladders. A Great Range Necessity

After Armstrong, it is down and over a small hump to the Beaver Meadow Trail that winds down and back to the Lake Road. It was a nice trail, made even nicer by the early afternoon sun and fall foliage turning everything a glowing yellow color. There are a few ladders at the top to negotiate the steep pitches, but after that the trail consists mainly of switchbacks making for a fairly easy descent.

Two disappointments. I saw neither meadows nor beavers on the way down.

Peak: Lower Wolf Jaw, Upper Wolf Jaw, Armstrong Mountain
Elevation: 4,175, 4,185, 4,400
Distance: 14.3 miles round trip
Route: Loop, West River Trail, Wedge Brook Trail, Adirondack Ridge Trail, Beaver Meadow Trail, Lake Road.
Conditions: Mostly sunny, 30 degrees F

Mount Lafayette and Lafayette North Peak, September 10, 2019, Franconia Range, White Mountain National Forest

Mount Lafayette summit

Mount Lafayette is one of my favorite of the 4000 footers. I like it because of the above-the-treeline views, especially to the east into the wild expanse of the Pemigewassett Wilderness. I've always had good luck with the weather, as was the case when I did the Lincoln Lafayette Loop a few years back. I also like that if you choose your route and time of day wisely, the Franconia Range can afford peaceful, lonely trails and solo summit experiences. If you do, in fact, want some solitude at Mount Lafayette, then Skookumchuck Trail has to be part of your itinerary.

I parked at the Cannon Mountain Tramway and started off on Greenleaf Trail. I've always used Old Bridle Path to get to Greenleaf Hut, so the Greenleaf Trail was a new experience. It's a pretty utilitarian, no frills trail that stays in the woods all the way up. I made quick time up to Eagle Pass where the semi-truck noise from the highway finally, and mercifully, ends. Why, oh why, did they put an interstate through Franconia Notch?

Eagle Pass, the only highlight on Greenleaf Trail

From there, it's a steady climb up to Greenleaf Hut, where I refilled my water bottles before pressing on to the summit. I passed a good half hour or so enjoying a second breakfast of "mud meals." Made by a new company called Greenbelly, mud meals are high calorie, drinkable meals that require only unheated water to reconstitute. I like the concept since they are light and filling and will definitely use them again. But I hope that Greenbelly will tweak the recipe to make them taste a little less like mud.

Greenleaf Hut from the summit trail

The real highlight of the hike came after the summit experience on Lafayette. Heading north, the trail above treeline to the "north peak" offers wide, expansive views and is very infrequently traveled by hikers. This is also true of the long, meandering Skookumchuck Trail which I used to travel back down into the notch. Skookumchuck is a fantastic trail, descending along mixed hardwood forests, mossy habitats, stone stairs and the pleasant, babbling brook itself.

Stone stairs on the Skook

Skookumchuck dumped me out at the parking lot for the Recreational Bike Path. The bike path is right alongside the highway, so the last three miles of the hike to complete the loop were horribly loud. I hoofed it on the double-quick back to the Tramway parking lot, glad that I had found a new favorite route to a favorite peak.

I'm calling it "The Skook."

Peak: Mount Lafayette and Lafayette North Peak
Elevation: 5,260 feet (Gain: 3,400 feet)
Distance: 11.9 miles roundtrip
Route: Loop, Greenleaf Trail to Garfield Ridge Trail to Skookumchuck Trail to Franconia Notch Recreational Bike Path
Conditions: Mostly sunny, 50 degrees F